


California Dreaming

by mcgarrygirl78



Series: California Dreaming [1]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Drama, Family, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-30
Updated: 2013-04-30
Packaged: 2017-12-10 00:53:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/779908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You had to keep living.  That was how you beat the demons…you outlived them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	California Dreaming

**Author's Note:**

> This story was entirely inspired by my intense love for Jason Gideon and an anonymous post on Tumblr’s Criminal Minds Headcanons that said “Gideon lives in California. He takes in foster kids and rescue animals”. That post slayed me. Extra special thanks to rebakitt3n, without whom I never would've found the perfect setting for this story.

“I’ma tell, I’ma tell.” She started running out of the room.

“Aww c'mon Maddie, don’t be a little snitch. Dammit Maddie!”

“Ooh, I'm telling.”

Jake chased after her as she ran through the house and into the big kitchen. The kid really was a pain in his ass. She’d only been living with them for two months; he tried to be as supportive as he could. Every kid had been new somewhere at one time. None in his recent memory had been as much of a whiny brat as she had.

“Gideon, Gideon!”

“Yes Maddie?” Jason turned down the fire on his chicken breasts. He looked at the seven year old.

“Jake said a bad word.” she announced.

“What did he say?”

“I didn't, Gideon.” The 14 year old boy shook his head. “I mean, I kinda did but it wasn’t a really bad word.”

The former profiler nodded but he was still focusing on the little girl with the tomato red plaits.

“He said A-S-S. He said it twice, at least that I heard.”

“You are a big fat snitch.” Jake sighed. “That’s not gonna get you any friends around here.”

“Stop it Jake.” Jason said. “While its not one of my favorite words, A-S-S isn’t that bad. I don’t want you running around saying it but you don’t have to tell on Jake when he does.”

“Are you sure?” she asked.

“I'm sure. Do you want to help me with dinner?”

“What can I do?” the little girl’s face lit up.

“You can set the table. There are plates in the drain board and you know the silverware is in the third drawer. Be careful with the plates…carry them one at a time.”

“OK.” she skipped over to the drain board and started her task.

“You were seven once.” Jason said, looking at Jake as he rolled his eyes.

“You didn't know me then so it doesn’t count.”

“Fair enough. Can you feed the dogs before dinner?”

“Sure.”

Jake went out the back door and into the yard. Jason whistled as he went back to dinner. It had been a long day but it wasn’t over yet. There was dinner, homework checking, a little TV, and the usual shenanigans that went along with trying to get five kids ready for bed. He would fall out exhausted some time after that but probably with a smile on his face. 

Jason smiled more now than he ever had. It had been six years since he left the BAU looking for meaning again. Most days he thought he found it. Nothing was perfect. There were still doubts and bad days. 

There were times when he wanted to get back into his SUV, drive off and never look back. Jason began to realize that most people felt that way. You had to keep living. That was how you beat the demons…you outlived them.

“What's for dinner?” Tameka walked into the kitchen. “It smells great.”

“Grilled chicken with brown rice and asparagus.” Gideon replied. “Did you finish those science flash cards?”

“Yeah.” she nodded. “I'm going to kick this test’s ass.”

“Language, young lady.” 

“My bad.”

“But you said A-S-S wasn’t a bad word.” Maddie said. She was walking back to the drain board for another plate. Setting the table was almost done.

“Oh really?” Tameka looked at him.

“There are surely expletives that are worse.” Jason said.

“What's an expletive?” Maddie asked.

“It means curse word.” Tameka replied.

“Exactly. There are expletives that are worse but that doesn’t mean we should go around using those kinds of words all willy nilly. The English language has millions of beautiful words. Our vocabulary shouldn’t be made up of the least common denominator.”

“In other words, like my nana used to say, speak like you got some sense.” Tameka said.

“I couldn’t have put it better myself.” Jason nodded. He was taking the chicken out of the wok and putting it on a serving plate. “Make sure you wash your hands Meka, and get your sister.”

“OK.”

Gideon told Jake the same thing when he came in from feeding the dogs. The teen gave him the thumbs up as he walked through the kitchen and lower part of the house. Jason spooned the brown rice, which he cooked in chicken broth, into a serving bowl.

“Ta-da!” Maddie held up her arms in triumph. “I'm done.”

“It looks lovely.” He brought the serving dishes over to the table while checking out Maddie’s work.

“I even did the napkins into triangles just like Tashima taught me.”

“Whatever she said I did, I didn't do it.” 12 year old Tashima, Tameka’s twin, walked into the kitchen.

“I wasn’t tattling.” Maddie replied, making a face.

“You taught her how to make napkin triangles.” Jason said.

“Oh yeah, I did that.”

“Maddie, go and wash your hands OK? Then make sure that everyone knows its dinner time.”

“OK.”

She rushed out of the room. Jason looked at Tashima as she went about finishing preparations. That’s the kind of kid she was. She was a nurturer. She always made sure things were OK with all the other kids, even Jake who was two years older. Jason relied on her to keep order in a house that could quickly fall into disarray. 

Kids were unpredictable creatures…foster kids even more so. There were 100 things that could happen in a day and that was considered normal. Tashima seemed to handle the craziness in stride. She was mellow, kind, and quick-witted. Her sister could be the total opposite sometimes. 

In many ways Tashima reminded Jason of Derek Morgan. The whole world could fall apart and she would hold her sister with one hand and the crumbling sky with the other. That strength is probably what got the twins through the tough battles life had dealt since they came into the world.

“Is there anything you want me to do, Gideon?” she asked. She’d already taken out the iced tea and put it on the table. She also went to the cabinet for glasses; Maddie forgot that part.

“You can slice some bread. There's a loaf of sourdough in the breadbox. Grab a serving plate from the cabinet.”

“Oh my God, no one was going to tell me about dinner. I could’ve starved up there.” eleven year old Cameron walked into the kitchen.

“I doubt it.” Tashima rolled her eyes as she took a knife from the cabinet drawer.

“I coulda.” His tone was more adamant.

“I told Maddie to tell everyone it was dinnertime, Cam. You probably came downstairs before she got to you.”

“I fell asleep.” he took his usual seat at the table. “I was dreaming about food.”

“Don’t you always dream about food?” Tashima asked.

“This one time I had a dream that I was on the spaceship from _Alien_ , and…”

They were saved from the rest of the story by more kids running into the kitchen. Jason had five right now, six was the limit. Jake had been with him the longest, almost three years. The twins had just celebrated their 2 year anniversary. Cameron was going on 10 months but hoped to go back to his mother someday. 

Maddie was the newest addition; she was just trying to find a space. Other children had come and gone over the past five years. Jason hoped he was able to give them a safe haven, a place just to be children. Some were easy and some were difficult but he never regretted opening his home and his life to them. 

Family was something he’d always wanted and never quite managed to achieve. His own parents died too soon; he was still mostly estranged from his son. His BAU family was the one he loved the most but sometimes even thinking about them broke his heart. Life hadn't been easy for the former profiler, which was something he had in common with the kids around his table. 

Jason hoped he didn't make the same mistakes over and over again. Windsor, California was home now, life was totally different. There were reasons to be happy for that and reasons to be sad. He preferred to focus on the things that made him happy.

“Good bread, good meat, good lord lets eat.” Cameron said, rubbing his hands together in delight.

“There's a strong possibility that you could be boffo.” Tashima said.

“Gideon,” Cameron pointed at her. “She's not allowed to call me things I don’t understand.”

“We’re going to eat.” He said calmly. “We’re not going to pick on each other or bring each other down.”

“Gideon worked hard on this dinner and it smells good. So shut up guys.” Jake said.

“It’s a little rougher around the edges than I would like but the point is well taken Jake. Bon appetit.”

They passed serving dishes around the table. There were compliments on the taste of the meal and Cameron said the words om nom nom to get his point across a few times. Jason talked with the kids about school, which would be over in a month. They discussed summer plans, movies they wanted to see, and Maddie just wondered if she’d be with them through the summer months. 

She’d been shuffled from place to place since her mom went to jail last year. She didn't know if she would ever see her again. He talked about taking them to the museum and of course to the boardwalk. It wasn’t a summer in Windsor without getting some sand between your toes. Jason wasn’t fond of it but the kids were.

“You can leave us home alone once in a while.” Tameka said. “I'm pretty sure we won't burn the place down.”

“Pretty sure.” Cameron smirked.

“Why would I want to leave you guys alone?” he asked.

“So you can date and stuff.” She replied. She used the tone most preteens did when adults said something ridiculous.

“It’s been quite a while since I've dated…and stuff.”

“You're winning her argument.” Jake said, adding more asparagus to his plate. “I bet women would like you. You know all this stuff about books and you have the brooding dark eyes. I'm not into guys or anything but I hear that girls like the brooding dark look. Unless you're in a boy band or something, which you’re just a tad too old to be.”

“I heard that too.” Cameron nodded. “The thing about the brooding dudes.”

“Even if you don’t date women, or men or whatevs,” Tashima said. “You should still get out Gideon. Outside is awesome, isn’t that what you tell us all the time?”

“I do.” Jason nodded. “OK, OK, this summer I promise to get out.”

“Cross your heart?” Maddie asked. She hardly knew what the conversation was about but she always asked someone that when they promised something.

“I cross my heart.” He did it. “So, who's going to do the dishes tonight?”

“Not me.” Jake, Tashima, and Cameron said in unison.

“Someone’s going to have to.”

“I have my science test in a few days.” Tameka said. “I have to study.”

“I thought you liked doing the dishes, Gideon.” Jake said. “You said it relaxed you.”

“I'm feeling pretty relaxed at the moment.”

“We can Rochambeau for it.” Jake said. “That’s only fair, right?”

“That’s fair.” Jason nodded.

“Would arm wrestling be fair?” Cameron asked.

“Cam, don’t let your food get too cold.”

***

“No, it’s really awesome. A girl is the hero in it…I mean the heroine. There are dragons and armies and war but its really about peace and sacrifice and stuff. I like it a lot. And the dictionary you bought me is really coming in handy. Today I looked up the word pestilence. It’s kinda a gross word.”

“That’s not one of my favorites but it’s a good word to know.” Jason greased the part he’d just made in her hair and began to braid. Tameka had a head full of thick, long, brown hair. Every two weeks she washed it before he greased and braided it. Since a preteen girl took her hair seriously, he had to do the same.

“Yeah, this series has like 10 books and this is just the first. I think I want to try to read the rest of them over the summer. We’re going to do the summer reading list this year, right Gideon?”

“Yes. I've been looking online and saw some that are perfect for you, Tashima, and Cameron.”

He needed to get Cameron to read something other than comic books. They were good for the imagination, and he liked the art. Still, there were great books out there that might fuel the same interests. Jason just didn't believe that a child couldn’t love to read. 

They just had to be introduced to the world. That was one thing he’d emphasized over the years with all of his fosters. Some took to it and some didn't. He planned to keep on trying.

“Tashima wants to read _Twilight_.” Tameka turned up her nose.

“I would prefer not but I would also be interested to hear her opinion on the phenomenon.” Jason said.

“She's totally Team Jacob. I told her to prepare for total disappointment.”

“I'm going to bed.” Cameron walked into the den to make the grand announcement. He was dressed in Spiderman pajama pants and a Hanes tee shirt. He shared a room with Jake, who was a freshman in high school. He went to bed earlier because he had a first period at 7:30.

“Did you pick out clothes for the rest of the week?” Jason asked. He looked up from Tameka’s hair, his bifocals resting on the bridge of his nose.

“Yeah, I hung the shirts in the closet like you said.”

“Alright; sweet dreams Cameron.”

“Goodnight Gideon. Goodnight, Meka.”

“’Night.”

Gideon was braiding Tameka’s hair halfway down. Then he pulled the rest into a ponytail, plaiting it and putting a no-grip hair band on the end.

“We’re done.”

“Can we braid all of my hair next time?” she asked. “I saw these great styles in this magazine I bought. I want to try one.”

She bounced up off the floor. She’d been sitting between Gideon’s legs. He envied all the kids and their ability to move so quickly. There were days when he certainly knew he wasn’t as young as he used to be. And with rain in the forecast until the end of the week, Jason was going to be feeling it.

“I’ll have a look at them and I’ll see. I can't promise you Hollywood glamour but I’ll try my best.”

“Awesome!” she grinned, leaning to kiss his cheek. “Goodnight, Gideon.”

“Goodnight. Don’t forget to brush your teeth.”

She promised not to as she made her way through the house and up the stairs. Alone in the den, Jason threw a pillow against the arm of the couch and leaned back. Pumpkin, the orange tabby cat he’d saved from a car four years ago, sauntered into the room and jumped up on his lap. They often slept on the couch together. 

He never expected to have so many animals in his life or his house. There were three dogs and three cats. It wasn’t always easy to clean up but he wouldn’t exchange them for the world. Goldie, the golden retriever, was his first. He found her on the highway when he was making his way to California from DC. At the time Jason didn't even know where he was going he just had to get away. 

Hitting a rest stop somewhere in Oklahoma he found her. She looked abandoned and hungry; he wasn’t leaving her behind. She became his constant companion and the others followed once he got to California. There was Nala, the black cat, who just came through the back door one day. Frump the bulldog, who was going to be put down if he wasn’t adopted, Pumpkin, Gus the super cat (Maddie’s favorite because you could put shirts on him) and Scout the black Lab was the latest addition to the family. 5 kids and 6 pets…life was a blissful handful.

His cell phone buzzing in his pocket brought Jason out of his thoughts and light sleep. Pumpkin didn't like it much either; she meowed her feelings. He grabbed it and looked at the display. There weren't a lot of people who knew how to reach him. 

He had some acquaintances at the University and a few friends he knew here and there but Jason preferred the solitary life. The less people there were, the less he could lose. Becoming a father, even a foster one, was contradictory to all of that. Yet something in his gut said to do it anyway.

“Hello Paloma.”

“Hey Jason. Look, I know I only call when I need something and you probably don’t even want to hear from me but…”

“You need something.” He said.

“Maybe.”

She laughed. Paloma Watson was a social worker. They'd met when Jason called to inquire about becoming a foster parent. She’d placed Jake, Cameron, and a few other kids with him over the years. She wasn’t currently their worker but still had a lot of cases on her plate. 

She was busy and always on the move. Still, Paloma called Jason twice a month or so to check in. And she had him on speed dial for emergency placements. There had been a few 3 a.m. phone calls about kids in need. Jason rarely let it go to voicemail when Paloma called.

“I have a friend, Kyle Cisneros, we went to school together. He’s having his first gallery showing on Friday night and invited me to come and see his work. I thought you might enjoy that.”

“What?” Jason sat up some, doing his best not to disturb Pumpkin. She could be a scratcher.

“Would you like to go to a gallery show with me on Friday night? I know its short notice and you’d have to get a sitter for five kids…”

“They know me well at the Sitter Service.” He replied. “I had a 6 to 9pm seminar last semester so there was a weekly appointment. The kids usually behave quite well.”

“Is that a yes?” Paloma asked.

“What kind of art does he create?” it was a yes, but Jason wanted to know what he was getting into.

“He paints, and his inspirations are Kandinsky and Jackson Pollock.” 

“Ahh, I see.”

“So, is that a no?” Paloma asked.

“I would love to go to the gallery showing with you. There are some modern artists that I appreciate. It’ll be nice to get out and see something interesting.”

“Well the show is from eight to ten so um…do you want to meet there? He’ll be at The Medici Gallery in Santa Rosa.”

“Would you like to get dinner or a drink before?” he asked.

“I don’t get off work until 5:30 and my commute can sometimes be a half hour.” she replied. “I'm going to have to have a bath and come down from the week so…”

“Some other time?”

“I would definitely love to some other time. I'm not rejecting dinner with you Jason, I like food too much. I like you too much.”

“So Friday night, eight o’clock; we’ll meet outside the gallery?”

“That sounds good to me. I'm looking forward to it.”

“I just have one request.” Jason said.

“Name it…I can't say that I don’t owe you one.”

“We’re not going to talk about work. We won't discuss my work or your work. I don’t get out much, which is entirely my choice. I don’t want to spend the evening talking about what could easily be discussed at home.”

“Can't we just agree not to talk about my work?” Paloma asked. “We've done enough of that to last a lifetime.”

“Alright. I’ll make some note cards on the finer points of being a philosophy professor. I don’t want to bore you.”

“That’s highly unlikely. Goodnight, Jason Gideon.”

“Goodnight. I’ll see you on Friday.”

Slipping the phone back into his pocket, he wondered if Paloma had been flirting with him. It wasn’t the first time Jason wondered. He wasn’t a dumb man and knew what flirting was. But she was also friendly. She said she liked him but liked meant a lot of things. She asked him out on a date, technically, but it was something that friends would also do. 

The opposite sex in the 21st century was a conundrum for him. Women were bold and to the point. Something in Jason loved that even if he had no idea what was going on at times. The best thing for him to do was just to enjoy the time they spent together on Friday. When it was over maybe he would know more. He wouldn’t let the insecurity get the better of him.

It was getting late so Jason made himself get up from the couch. Tomorrow was Wednesday so he taught 10, 11, and 1 o’clock classes at Sonoma State. Then there were office hours until four. He liked to be home with the kids after school, making sure homework was getting done. 

Walking through the house, Jason checked to make sure everything was locked up. He checked on the dogs in the yard. It was going to rain tonight but it wasn’t that cold. They all had dog houses so they’d be alright. Locking the sliding glass door that led to the deck, Jason checked the kitchen once more. Tashima did the dishes and did as good a job as usual. He grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator before taking the back stairs to the second level of the house.

It was quiet, all the kids were asleep. He checked on Cameron and Jake first since their room was closer to the steps. Cameron left his low wattage book lamp on, clamped to the headboard of his bed. He didn't like admitting he was afraid of the dark but Jake never bothered him about it. Maddie was next. She didn't like sleeping alone so Gus was with her. The twin bed beside her was empty for now but who knew what was to come. 

The twins always slept with music on. There was a local pop station from Santa Rosa that came in well. He could hear some ingénue singing as he looked at the girls sleep. Jason loved their room. 

They slept in bunk beds and there were pictures all over the walls. They loved to cut out things from magazines, looking at the foreign lands they would someday travel and the women they wanted to be like. Their three-shelf bookshelf in the corner was slowly filling with the books they loved. This was home now; the girls created their own space in it.

In his bedroom, Jason opened the window. He let in the warm night breeze and the smell of the rain that was coming. He took off his work clothes, khakis and a white dress shirt, replacing it with sweats and a University of Chicago tee shirt. Sitting at the end of the bed, Jason petted Pumpkin, who’d made her way from downstairs. On the walls all around him were pictures of kids. 

There were little kids, big kids, and all the kids in between. Just like his office in Quantico, these pictures were a reminder. Perhaps the next Einstein or Miles Davis or Spencer Reid had or would come through the house on Ashley Drive. Those kids probably had no idea that they were saving Jason’s life everyday just as much as he was saving theirs.

***


End file.
